Mary Horton is content with her comfortable, solitary existence . . . until she meets Tim. A beautiful young man with the mind of a child -- a gentle outcast in a cruel, unbending world -- he illuminates the darkness of Mary's days with his boyish innocence. And he will shatter the lonely, middle-aged spinster's respectable, ordered life with a forbidden promise of a very special love.
this small book really packs a wallop! it is perhaps the best book i have ever read because it is such a wonderful love story without being sappy. two thumbs way up!
A repeat read
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
As a person who adores both Harry Potter and Salman Rushdie, this is one of my all-time favorite books. I have read this book at least 8 times in the past few years, and I have lent it to many a friend and loved one. The story is engrossing, the characters are complex and endearing, and McCullough's writing is magical. As a writer and an editor, this is a story I appreciate every time I read it.
Her finest work
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
Colleen McCulloch has written many books but I consider this, a very early work, to be her finest. It is a simple story of unconventional love, beautifully told. The characters are very strongly drawn, and it is easy to identify with the feelings of Mary Horton as she comes to grips with her love for a young man so totally unlike her. It is a topic which could so easily have led to a different and tasteless result - instead it is a truly lovely book.
Not quite believable, but... still lovely
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
Not your typical gooey love story... but cute nonetheless. This book teaches us that beauty really is only skin deep... a cliche, I know, but by the time you finish this book, you'll wish everyone thought like Tim. He is one of the most likable characters ever, so simple-minded, yet so insightful. This book also has something important to say about the power that the opinions of others can have over us. I loved this book and it changed my life forever... even though the whole time I was reading it I found myself thinking, "Loosen up, Mary!"
A beautiful love story!!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 27 years ago
If you love the book DO NOT WATCH THE MOVIE!!!! If you have seen the movie, read the book. This story goes where romance novels have never been before, and comes out shining. The charcaters are loveable - especially Tim - though the 'incident' in the first chapter or so is recommended to be skipped over. Wonderfully written and beautifully unpredictable. This book will never grow old in a romantics heart.
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